Wuthering Heights in Pop Culture

Wuthering Heights is a story that changes and ages along with its audience, explaining why it has been remade so many times. Join us in our own ballet adaption by Associate Artistic Director Sasha Janes April 27-29. If you haven’t yet been drawn into this twisted tale of romance, buy your tickets now for Wuthering Heights to see what makes it so popular!

Wuthering Heights

April 27-29, 2017 | Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts

Wuthering Heights in Pop Culture

Though the novel is now considered a literary classic, Emily Brontë did not receive such praise at the time of its publishing. Wuthering Heights shocked the public, and critics mentioned it could not have possibly be written by a women. Being rejected by publishers, Brontë had to self-publish the 1847 novel and use a male name, Ellis Bell, as the author. The next year, 1848, she died at age 30 from tuberculosis, thinking that her book was a failure.

It is obvious now the novel has received incredible attention and has captured audiences for years, and it is still being referenced in pop culture all the time. Have you caught any of these modern references in your favorite shows, songs, or movies?

The first “bad boy” of literature | Author, Christina Bartholomeo’s states Heathcliff is an unforgettable archetype and “is the original “bad boy”; without him, so many great bad boys of literature might not exist, from Dracula to Jay Gatsby to James Dean.”

Friends – Season 5, Episode 9 | In this episode of the popular sitcom Friends, Phoebe and Rachel attend literature classes where they discuss Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

The Twilight Series – Eclipse | Stephanie Meyer, the author of the popular Twilight Saga novels, drew inspiration from each book in the series from literary classics: Twilight on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, New Moon on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Eclipse on Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and Breaking Dawn on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

There are also many allusions to Wuthering Heights in her novels. Bella says it is her favorite novel and is worn out from reading it so much. In Eclipse, Bella and Edward both compare themselves to Catherine and Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights, as the love triangle between the two and Jacob relate to that off Catherine, Heathcliff and Edgar.

Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ | Kate Bush, English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer, wrote a song titled Wuthering Heights in 1978. The hit was number 1 on the charts within three weeks and stayed the top spot for four week, becoming the first UK number 1 hit written and performed by a female artist. It has been covered by many other artists including Pat Benatar.

The Proposal (2009) | In the 2009 romantic comedy, “The Proposal,” Sandra Bullock’s character shares facts about herself to love interest, Ryan Reynolds. One of her facts is that Wuthering Heights is her favorite book and she reads it every Christmas!

Total Eclipse of the Heart | The song written by Jim Steinman and sang by Bonnie Tyler, “Total Eclipse of the Heart ” was inspired by Wuthering Heights. It hit number one in several countries and became Tyler’s biggest career hit.

Other bands and singers were inspired by Wuthering Heights as well, such as Death Cab for a Cutie‘s song Cath…” and Yoko Ono’s duet with John Lennon, “You’re the One.” If you’ve ever watched Madmen, Bones, Sex in the City, The Mentalist, Family Guy, Sabrina the Teenage Witch or The Vampire Diaries you are sure to have heard multiple modern references to Wuthering Heights as well.

If all your favorite stars and singers loved Wuthering Heights, we know you will too!

Buy your tickets now for April 27-29 at the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts for Sasha Janes’ Wuthering Heights, opening with a performance of contemporary choreographer Alonzo King’s MAP.